Summary: It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall.
Pairing: Itachi x Naruto.
Authors: Disgruntled Minion and Imperial Mint.
Word Count: 6013
Un-betaed.
Know How to Fall.
Chapter Two
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It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall.
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Naruto drummed his fingers along his jean-clad leg. Itachi and his mare had already left the dressage arena and he was waiting impatiently for his score. Not that he knew anything about the judging procedures but to Naruto's eyes, the performance had looked flawless.
He'd give it a ten out of ten, although he was sure that the points weren't that easy to give out. He should have asked Itachi what the judges were looking for and how the points were given. Was it better to get a high score or a low one?
He shook his head and tried to focus on the next horse and rider that had entered the ring. The gelding wasn't as nice looking as Susanoo and therefore lost points in Naruto's mind but he tried hard not to compare the two.
Dressage was never something he paid attention to. In fact, most of the English riding sports barely caught his attention, unless it was jumping but even then. He was strictly a Western rider, finding that those who rode Western were much more laid back than those who rode the English saddle.
It was the biggest difference between the two saddles. One asked for relaxation in horse and rider while the other asked for engagement. However, they both looked towards perfection in their events, as any athlete would in a sport.
Regardless of his views though, he didn't disrespect the English saddle nor did he look down on those who rode it. Every aspect of horse competition and riding was hard, challenging, and took time and effort. There was a great connection between horse and rider, one that ran deep in order to compete.
Itachi and Susanoo had that deep connection and it showed beautifully in their riding. They moved together perfectly and Naruto could see that both rider and horse enjoyed what they were doing.
There were many parts that he didn't understand while he was watching them perform and he wished that someone had been there to explain the different parts. Maybe he could convince Itachi to come sit with him for the rest of the show and point out everything.
Standing up, he eased his way down the crowded seats and into the aisle. He was ready to find Itachi and see how he felt after his performance. He had to admit that it wasn't as boring as he first thought it would be and was pleasantly surprised that he had enjoyed it.
The way the horse moved so smoothly, seemingly without any guide from Itachi was amazing. The skill and command that it took to perform such an act went over Naruto's head and he couldn't even begin to fathom how long it took to reach that level.
His feet led him to the stables once more and he scanned the aisle for Susanoo and Itachi, wondering if they would be back yet. The stalls were quiet as most horses were outside getting ready to perform or cooling down.
Shoulders slumping, Naruto moved down the aisle. It seemed as though they weren't back yet and he would be forced to wait outside the stall until they returned. Naruto pouted at the thought and leaned against the wall, trying to find a comfortable position.
A door opened a little further down the yard, a more casually dressed Itachi stepping out from the storage room next to Susanoo's stable. He noticed Naruto lounging against the wall, next to Susanoo's stable door, but the blond hadn't caught sight of him yet.
Itachi wondered what Naruto had thought of the first stage of eventing. Dressage was a complex discipline, hounded from ancient times and preserved magnificently. There were dedicated schools in Italy and France who solely taught dressage, pushing their horses to the limits so that they could perform the respected airs above the ground, the capriole and the ballotade as two examples.
They trained for years and while Itachi would never undertake that training himself or for one of his horses, he could respect the history behind the discipline and so respect dressage.
Naruto, however, was unlikely to have watched a professional dressage course in his life. He had been born and bred Western rider, but he had taken time to watch Itachi and Susanoo. Curiosity was a wonderful thing at times and Itachi was thankful that Naruto had given it a try.
"How did you find it?" Itachi asked, stepping to stand beside Naruto. Naruto's eyes opened slowly, as he had closed them a few moments ago, and he turned to look at Itachi in slight surprise.
"It was... amazing," Naruto replied. Itachi smiled, opening his mouth to say something when he heard the approaching sound of familiar hoof beats.
"And here she is, the wonder horse herself." Naruto's face lit up at seeing Susanoo in her cooling rug, nostrils flaring as she caught wind of Naruto's scent. Her lip curled, causing the man holding her to chuckle.
"Looks like Susanoo has a new favourite," Kisame said, raising an eyebrow at Itachi. Itachi shrugged, moving aside to unlock the bolts on Susanoo's door.
"Hand her over and go check on Deidara would you?" Itachi asked, slipping his hands around Susanoo's leadrope, taking the task away from Kisame. He was changed into comfortable clothes now and could tend to his horse. Not everyone in this stage of competitions - that being the high-level competitive stages - would do such 'menial' tasks as untacking their horse, but Itachi wasn't a big believer in those things. Susanoo was his horse and so he'd take care of her, regardless to how high a level they were at.
Kisame slipped away, passing Naruto with a toothy grin. Itachi nodded his head to Naruto, gesturing for him to enter the large stable too; something the blond hesitated at for only a moment, before stepping into the cool, sweet-hay-smell stable.
"I'll take her tack off," Itachi said, securing the leadrope in his hands through a ring on the interior of the stable, making sure that Susanoo wouldn't walk off while they were sorting her out.
"We'll start with the rug and saddle," Itachi said, making sure that Naruto could see what he was doing.
In all truthfulness, Itachi wasn't sure why he'd invited Naruto in to see him untack his horse. Maybe it was because he'd actually watched their dressage event, maybe it was because he'd come back to talk to Itachi or maybe it was because he was genuinely interested in British riding styles. But Itachi was happy that Naruto was there with him. Something drew him to the blond man, something tiny, but there nonetheless. He was interesting, very much so.
"We need to unstrap the cooling rug at the front and round the belly." Itachi demonstrated, undoing the velcro straps and then unbuckling the others. "And then we fold the rug back to slide it off, over her rump."
Naruto's eyes were inquisitive as the red rug was folded in half, revealing the front half of Susanoo. Itachi then slid the remaining material over his horse's back, slipping it neatly off Susanoo, her tail neatly falling through the gap. It was simple, but no doubt taken a lot of practice to put on and take off.
"I'll hang this one in here at the back, with her other rugs." Itachi left Naruto for a moment, ducking under Susanoo's arched neck. She snorted, slightly impatient, but Itachi ignored her, folding the rug over the strip of thin rope at the back, with the other rugs that Susanoo may need.
"Now we'll be able to untack her properly. All we need to do is undo the girth here, and while you should technically go round to put it on top of the saddle and then come back, we'll just slide it off." Itachi's hands unbuckled the strap holding the saddle on, pulling at the pommel and cantel to slip the saddle from Susanoo sideways. The girth fell to the ground with a little clink of metal buckles, causing Susanoo's ears to swivel to the source of the noise.
Itachi moved past Naruto, smiling at his nod. Clearly, the untacking methods of Western styled riding were very much the same. Still, Itachi felt the need to tell Naruto, if only to talk to him. He placed the dark saddle (complete with saddle pad) on the stable door, flipping the girth strap onto the top of the saddle, over the seat.
"And now we move to the bridle. You need to undo the cheekpiece and noseband to take this off." Itachi's fingers moved to undo part of the headcollar, slipping the nose free and the larger band round Susanoo's neck. This would make sure she stayed still yet didn't get stuck with a mess of headcollar and bridle.
The leather was a little stiff and Itachi's fingers paled under pressure as he undid the buckles, but soon the bridle was pulled over Susanoo's grey ears and the bit released from her mouth. Itachi placed the bridle on his shoulder, collecting the reins up neatly, and released Susanoo from the red headcollar.
"There we go. And with any luck, Deidara will be back with the results soon. Not that many people were after us, only three or four." Itachi pushed the stable door open, waiting for Naruto to follow.
Naruto gave Susanoo one last pat on her neck before trotting after Itachi. It seemed as though Itachi was done competing for the day and would be free until tomorrow. He wondered if he could convince the man to come join him for lunch or something. Maybe then, Itachi could explain more about dressage.
He gnawed on his lower lip, wondering if he was getting in over his head. After all, they had just met and lived on different sides of the globe. Huffing lightly, Naruto shook his head. It didn't matter really; there was no way to say if Itachi even liked guys and if he was even looking for anyway. At best, they could still stay friends once they parted ways.
"So, what are you doing for the rest of the day after you get your results?" Naruto asked, drawing up beside Itachi.
Itachi glanced back at Naruto, pausing for a moment so that Naruto could draw up next to him. He knew nothing about Naruto, not really, but part of his mind was screaming at him to get to know him.
It wouldn't be hard; after all, they had common ground in horses and so much to learn from each other. It would be exciting, and even if nothing ended up happening, there was still a chance to make a new friend.
"That depends on the results. If they're good then I'll take Kisame and Deidara out for a late lunch, if they're bad then we'll end up moping around, maybe watching some other events." Itachi smiled slightly and Naruto could sense he was nervous. Which made perfect sense, this was a worldwide event and even competing in this would be nerve wracking. Naruto understood, having been in his own classes, but even for someone outside the British riding ring, it was evident that this was an important event.
"You're welcome to join us, of course, regardless of what we end up doing. I'll also have to talk to some other riders and look at the course for tomorrow." Itachi paused, a considering look on his face. "Tomorrow is the cross country part of the event."
Naruto smiled, nodding his thanks for the clarification. The cross country would test agility and endurance, forcing the horse into travelling a long course and combating many obstacles in the forms of jumps. Though Naruto had never watched a proper course before, he had seen a few snippets of the second stage of eventing. Naruto wondered what Susanoo would look like jumping.
"Naruto, forgive me if this is slightly presumptuous of me, but would you stay on to watch the remainder of the three day eventing?" Itachi's eyes were open and honest, his voice calm and unwavering. He had just asked a practical stranger to stay on as a guest and said guest was seriously considering it.
"I would love to but my own horse-" Naruto was interrupted.
"I can pay for extended boarding here, just for a few more days. In fact, I can file your horse under Susanoo's entry as a companion to keep her company. My sponsors can pay for your board here then, as they are with Susanoo." Itachi quirked an eyebrow.
While Naruto didn't feel bad about wanting to stay, he did feel bad about taking Itachi's money. Itachi had presented it in a way that explained he'd be taking the sponsor's money, however, which wasn't as bad. And Naruto really did want to stay to watch the rest, and then perhaps convince Itachi to let go of posture and holding his horse in mouth to try western, (and no it wasn't just a ploy to see Itachi in leather chaps at all).
"At least let me pay for something," Naruto stated. He didn't want to sound greedy by letting Itachi take care of everything. He did have some money that he could pitch in at least. There was a brief hesitation before he plowed forward. "Maybe lunch, or dinner...something?"
Naruto clamped his mouth shut as Itachi's lips twitched into a small smile. He knew he had been babbling but he was slightly nervous and asking to pay for lunch almost made it seem like a date. Not that it would be, but he could at least think it was in his mind.
They paused at the exit of the barn and Naruto shifted on his feet, wondering what was going through Itachi's mind. He glanced into the dark eyes, trying hard to keep the heat from creeping up his face.
"I mean, I want to stay and watch, but I don't want to be a free-loader or anything. And, and, if I pay for meals, then you can explain about dressage and jumping to me." Naruto paused and scratched his neck. "If you want, that is."
Silence settled over them and Naruto watched as Itachi cocked his head to the side slightly. He hoped that the man wasn't reconsidering his offer.
"We'll at least have to eat lunch with Kisame and Deidara, and I'll be busy for the next few days while all of this is going on..." Itachi could see Naruto deflate, obviously taking his words as a negative response. "But I would love for a dinner once this is over."
Itachi watched as Naruto's head snapped up, his eyes wide and unguarded. Itachi couldn't remember the last time he had seen someone so honest, open and trusting and, in all truthfulness, it made him uncomfortable.
No one should be able to wear their emotions on their sleeve as much as Naruto did, but the blond did it in such a beautiful way. Itachi felt that he could trust this stranger, something that wasn't to be said lightly. It had taken Itachi weeks to trust Kisame and even longer to trust Deidara, and they were two of his closest friends.
"Okay then," Naruto said, setting his mouth in a determined smile. "I'll arrange something for us."
Itachi smiled to himself, leading them over to where Deidara and Kisame were, at the tent where the results would be announced. With any luck, by now, the scores would be revealed and Itachi could move on for the cross-country. Tonight he'd take Susanoo to one of the practice arenas and ride with some of the other competitors, testing out a few jumps that had been set up, in preparation for the cross-country and show jumping events.
Maybe Naruto would watch and then... Itachi stopped himself. Why would Naruto even be interested in spending a whole day with him? He'd practically forced the man to watch dressage and now captured him in to watch the other eventing stages.
Surely if Naruto didn't want to be there, though, he'd say something?
Itachi hoped so, but he couldn't quite say. He didn't know Naruto well enough, though that would be his next goal after doing well in this eventing competition.
"Ah there you are Itachi!" Deidara's voice pierced through the crowd they had stepped into, a smile on his face. His arms flapped wildly as he continued to talk, though the rest of the words were drowned out by nameless people around them.
"Slow down Deidara, Itachi probably doesn't understand a word," Kisame interjected, shooting a grin at Naruto and Itachi.
"Well, you have the usual contenders placing at the top, but for a rookie in this competition, you've done well. You've placed at the high end of mid-range I think, well above all the other rookies. Susanoo seems to have attracted a lot of good attention and they were impressed with how well she carried herself and how well you showed control." Deidara paused for air, rolling his eyes at the simple need to breathe.
"And then I overheard some people tipping you off for being a strong contender to move into the upper score ranges if you handled the cross country well. Doubtful that we'll take the red ribbon, but who knows? When it boils down to it, anything can happen!" Deidara smiled as he finished, rocking back on his heels for a moment before peering at Naruto.
Wide blue eyes blinked back at Deidara, wondering what the hell the man was talking about. He wasn't sure about dressage scores and what everything meant. Obviously, it was a good thing that everyone liked Susanoo and Itachi showed control, but everything else had just flown over his head.
He shuffled on unsure feet, not quite certain what it all meant for him as well. He was an outsider to all this and he felt out of the loop, for lack of better words. Glancing back at Itachi, he rubbed the back of his neck.
"So, no dinner for a while I'm guessing?"
Itachi turned to Naruto, his mouth open a little. "No..." he paused. "But would you join us for lunch? I can explain a little on the scoring and talk a little more about ourselves."
Naruto raised an eyebrow and Itachi suddenly wondered if he'd been too forward. "I mean how you came to ride Western and what it's like."
Naruto's eyes seemed to light up as Itachi finished and his heartbeat slowed a little, knowing that he had Naruto's company for a little while longer. They got on well with each other, something that Itachi had never really experienced. He's assumed that all the stories where people say they met someone (friend, family member, lover) and just clicked had to be lies... yet somehow he seemed to 'click' with Naruto.
"Okay then," Naruto said, smiling brightly.
Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi saw Kisame nudge Deidara. He made sure his friends noticed the unhappy-Uchiha-glare and they quieted a little, breathing in and exhaling sharply. It wasn't that Itachi was a nasty person, but even to his friends he could install fear in their hearts. He was the kind of man you would follow with loyalty, but turn on the wrong side and you would feel wrath of unimaginable proportions.
"I know a good little restaurant close by. Kisame and I can look after Susanoo and move your horse, Naruto," Deidara said, smiling as if he was a cat that had just devoured the canary.
Naruto silently looked the man over; trying to decide if could trust his horse with Deidara. He rode with Itachi and took care of Susanoo, so Wichita would be in safe hands but he was still cautious. Wichita was his love and he refused to let any harm come to him.
He crooked his finger, waving Deidara closer and waited until the man was close enough to grab. His hand wrapped Deidara's shirt collar and he brought his mouth to the blond's ear. "I run my own ranch back home and castrate the calves myself. If you harm my horse in anyway..." He pulled back and patted Deidara's cheek, which had paled.
With a wide grin, he released his hold on the shirt and steeped back. "Lunch sounds good. You can explain the finer details of dressage to me."
Naruto could feel the curious gaze of Itachi resting on him, no doubt trying to figure out what he had said to Deidara. A slender eyebrow arched at him and Naruto chuckled lightly, knowing that Itachi would do threaten the same thing if he were in his shoes.
For one, Itachi was impressed. Not often did Deidara balk in such fashion, and even less often to a single sentence. Whoever Naruto was, he was surely a very powerful man, whether he realized it or not. A thought suddenly hit Itachi.
"Where is your team, Naruto?"
Naruto turned to him face open to the question. He gave a lop-sided smile and rubbed the nape of his neck. "I sent them home earlier. They all know how much time I like to spend wandering around and our stable was still paid for the day. I said I'd just have a look around while I could and that they might as well head home."
Itachi nodded, it wasn't that uncommon for teams to leave the main rider, but it was a rare enough occasion to be considered a little odd. Usually the team would stay with the rider, only having come in one horsebox, but maybe Naruto had ridden with someone.
"Did you enter alone?" Itachi couldn't help but question.
"No," Naruto replied, looking away from the group. "A friend of mine also rode, but he went home as well." Again, he paused, "Just as well, otherwise I wouldn't have met you guys, and he's a moody bastard who wouldn't have wanted to be sociable."
Itachi nodded slowly, wondering what it would be like to simply wander around alone. Kisame and Deidara would never leave him unless under extreme orders from him, and usually even then they'd still keep him company. Itachi himself didn't know what to do with so much free time, which was why he ran a stud back at his home, part of a project for his sponsors.
"If we move away from the showgrounds, there's this nice little restaurant. It's full of riders and teams so there's no need to change clothes or anything," Itachi paused, scanning Naruto and realizing he wasn't in riding clothing. "Well, for me anyway." He smiled as Naruto chuckled.
"That sounds good then. We can take my truck if you want." Naruto said, pulling out his keys and letting them hang from his fingers. If Deidara and Kisame were going to be following later, then it would give him time alone with Itachi.
Itachi nodded and with a quick dip of his head to his companions, followed Naruto out of the barn. The grounds were slowly clearing out as the day moved on and the events dwindled down, making it easier to find his truck in the fields.
Spotting the blue Chevy, he unlocked the door and gestured for Itachi to climb in. The windows had been cracked, making the inside smell like hay and leather. It didn't help that Naruto had extra saddle pads in the back seat.
"Sorry about the mess." Naruto grunted as he moved aside some skid boots. His team had taken back most of his tack already, leaving behind everything he would need, but Naruto still liked to keep extra pieces ready and available.
With a sheepish grin, Naruto started the truck, once again apologizing for the mess. He had been expecting to drive home tonight, alone with the exception of Wichita. Now though, he would have to shuffle things around when he got back to the grounds, he didn't want Itachi to think he was always a slob.
"Where is this place?" Naruto asked as he pulled out of the showgrounds.
Itachi's eyes flickered to Naruto's profile, a small mile gracing his lips. It was amazing how trusting and carefree Naruto appeared to be, and yet there was a calmness and self-assuredness underneath that made Naruto automatically a friend.
"Take the first left you come to and then it's a short way down that road." Naruto nodded to Itachi's instructions and turned his head, indicating as he did so. The click-click of the indicator was familiar to Itachi and he realized he hadn't driven in weeks, Kisame and Deidara had been doing all the driving since they had arrived in Kentucky.
"Shall I pull in here? Or is it the next entrance?"
They had arrived down a quiet road, off the main larger roads and away from the bulk of traffic. Around the area was a blanket of trees, huddling around the restaurant and shielding the picnic benches that sat outside away from traffic. It was a homely restaurant and Itachi and his team had made fast acquaintances with the owners.
"Just this one, the parking area's at the back of the restaurant."
Naruto nodded again, pulling the car into the entrance and following the curve of the road, entering the parking area. For a seemingly small and quiet restaurant, it was quite full. They parked and Itachi smiled at Naruto.
"You ready?" Itachi waited for Naruto's nod before unlatching his door and stepping out into the warm air. A breeze was passing through so it wasn't unbearable, but it was warmer than a typical summer's day in England.
They walked together, passing round the garden and to the entrance. The door was open and a waitress sitting at a small desk, clearly assigned to watch for new patrons. A smile plastered on her face as soon as her eyes lit upon Itachi and she stood eagerly.
"Itachi!" She greeted enthusiastically, causing both men to raise their eyebrows. She turned her attention to Naruto then and her smile widened even more. "And who is your friend?"
Itachi fought the urge to wince. "This is Naruto, Naruto this is Morgan."
The waitress clapped her hands before grabbing two menus and marching off, waggling her hips dramatically and peering back.
"This way boys!" she called, to which Itachi winced. He was almost definitely older than her.
Naruto couldn't help but laugh at Morgan's actions. He took a second to turn around and compose himself so the female didn't think he was laughing at her. Because really, he wasn't, he was laughing at a thought she had spurred.
Finally, his laughter subsided and he trotted after Itachi with a large grin on his face. They slid into a booth that Naruto assumed Itachi sat at often with his team and picked up the menu that rested before them. He held it up, snickering behind it as Morgan told Itachi the daily specials before she turned to him.
"Can I get you anything to drink, hun?"
Naruto looked up and smiled at Morgan, trying to be polite. "Is there anything you would recommend?"
"We've got the best Earl Grey this side of world. Not up to par with the original in Britain, but we try our best."
Cocking his head to the side, Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. "Earl Grey? What exactly is that?" Naruto suppressed a shiver; whatever it was, it didn't sound pleasant at all. In his mind, he saw a thick gray drink that was probably like syrup going down his throat.
Itachi hid a smile at Naruto's expression. There was something wrong with America in general and the lack of overall tea consumption. Back home, the first thing anyone did when you entered the house would be to ask if the guest wanted tea. If they didn't want tea then that was fine, but it was the sheer principle.
While the Earl Grey tea here was little more than watered down piss and a far cry from the light, bergamot infused brew he had at home, it would do much more nicely than the sluggish coffee the whole nation appeared to be enamoured with. Tea was a drink of gods, you couldn't deny that.
Naruto's look of horror slipped into a deeper one as Itachi casually ordered the Earl Grey, asking for a few moments to order food. Morgan nodded with a bright smile, sauntering off presumably to the kitchens.
Itachi waited calmly for a moment before looking in Naruto's direction. He could practically feel the nervousness radiating from Naruto and smiled in an attempt to calm whatever terror the tea-virgin was feeling.
"It's a very light blend, perfect if you've never had tea before." Naruto's eyes widened.
"You can tell I've never had tea?" Naruto's voice was slightly incredulous, to Itachi's amusement.
"It's the look on your face. You look as if Earl Grey is the devil incarnate, but it's really not. It has a strange taste to it, which is somewhat of an acquired one, but I'm sure you'll like it. It's the nicest selection of tea here, the others aren't as nice." Itachi paused, eyes flickering to the kitchen. His tea was very important and while the serving was out of his hands, Itachi wanted reassurance it was very closely on its way.
"But... it's..." Naruto managed to speak only in stutters. Itachi drew his attention back to the table, smiling slightly.
"All you have to do is try it. If you do that then I won't have to bother you at all about it again."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "You make it sound even worse."
Itachi chuckled lightly, catching Morgan moving through the restaurant with a platter in her hands. Itachi could almost smell the aroma of the tea through the restaurant and he sat forwards, patient to the max.
"Here y'all go," Morgan said, setting down two teacups on saucers, complete with teaspoons and a large pot of tea. Already on the table was sugar and sweeteners and Morgan completed the set by setting down a jug of milk on the table.
Daintily, Itachi thanked Morgan and moved the teapot round, taking the handle with one hand and cupping the spout with the other. Tea spilt from the opening into Naruto's teacup first before moving the teapot to his own cup, filling it to around three quarters-full; steam blossoming from the deep brown liquid.
Itachi could see Naruto sniffing the air slightly as he moved the milk to the middle and the sugar bowl to join it.
"If you would prefer to add your own milk or shall I do it for you?"
Naruto crumpled his nose and shook his head. Itachi smiled and nodded in understanding. Competing abroad had opened his eyes to the fact that many people didn't drink that much tea and even more people didn't quite understand the logistics behind brewing and serving. Of course, Itachi would have been more comfortable with his own teapot, tealeaves and a strainer, but this was America and they seemed to be quite backwards in tea preparation.
"I'll leave it for you to decide whether to add sugar or not, but try it without first."
As the milk added to the brown tea, the colour intensity changed to a slightly creamy brown, a tinge of grey (almost non-existent) in the mix. Itachi pushed the saucer slowly to Naruto and raised an eyebrow.
Swallowing heavily, Naruto's fingers curled around the small cup and he brought it to his lips. Steam rose and curled around his nose, making Naruto lower the cup slightly. He didn't want to burn his tongue and he blew on it lightly, all too aware that Itachi was watching him.
Finally deciding that the liquid was much cooler, he brought the cup to his lips again and tilted it up. The hot liquid rolled over his tongue and down his throat, making him cough lightly. It wasn't an unpleasant taste but one that he wasn't used to.
He licked his lips again. Still, it wasn't horrible. He took a cautious sip again, making sure that he was prepared for the hot tea this time. After taking another small drink, he set the cup down and grinned. "Not too bad."
Itachi grimaced as he set his own cup down and Naruto cocked his head at the action. Had he done something wrong when he had been drinking the tea? Maybe he wasn't supposed to drink it that hot or he waited too long to drink it.
Before he could ask what he had done wrong, Morgan appeared at the edge of their table once again. "Okay boys, what'll y'all have?"
Naruto blinked and quickly grabbed the menu as Itachi started ordering. His eyes scanned the menu and finally settled on a simple, light sandwich. Once Morgan had vanished into the kitchens again, Naruto squirmed in his seat.
"Did I drink it wrong?" he blurted out loudly. Several of the people in the dinner turned around to look at him and a tinge of red crept up Naruto's neck, but he simply grinned at them. He turned back to Itachi. "The tea I mean."
Itachi fought down his amusement. Naruto was simply adorable.
"It's nothing to do with you," Itachi smiled, placing his cup to the side for a moment and reaching for the sugar pot. Wherever he went in America, the tea was either too bitter or lacking in taste. Fortunately, as Morgan had said, this restaurant's tea wasn't too bad and was a little bitter.
"Unfortunately my overseas cousins haven't quite mastered the art there is to tea making." Naruto cocked his head like that and Itachi sighed.
Why was it than no one ever quite got the importance of tea unless they were English? It was somewhat of a national obsession and yet everywhere else just deemed it as madness. Itachi didn't usually like to harp on about tea to people from other countries, but Naruto was, yet again, an exception.
Naruto chuckled as he watched Itachi scrutinize the tea before him before some sugar was stirred into the liquid. He hadn't seen someone act this way towards tea since two years ago when he first met his riding partner.
"You remind me of someone," Naruto said, grabbing a straw and pulling the cover off it. He twirled the paper around his fingers as he thought about said male. "We met at a competition; the guy was such a bastard too. He had switched from English to Western riding and was riding for the first time in a show."
Naruto looked up again and met Itachi's eyes. He grinned widely. "He had great talent, the way he carried himself on the horse and all that; very proper. But it's not the Western way of riding and he didn't score too well." He flicked the paper away. "Now he rides with me and I've been helping him when he needs it. Whoever had helped him before when he rode English was a good teacher."
His fingers grabbed the cup again and he took a large gulp of tea. He gagged at taste of the now cold tea and shuddered lightly. Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Naruto reached for the glass of water and swallowed a mouthful.
"Heh, that's what I get for talking too much." Naruto said with a small laugh.
Itachi smiled, understanding the impending time it took to drink tea. It was a delicate balance, but seasoned tea drinkers could usually tell when the beverage had become cold. It was never nice to think you had a lovely cup of tea waiting only to take a mouthful and discover is had grown stone cold.
"I know a few people who have converted from Western to British riding and vice versa. I've heard it's easier to go from British to Western than the other way." Itachi could see Morgan approaching with their sandwiches.
"I heard that too, though I've never really thought about it before I guess," Naruto said, dipping his straw in his water and letting it bob up and down.
"A... relative of mine switched over to Western riding a while ago. We both learnt from our uncle, but we began riding together and I ended up teaching him more than Madara, our uncle, did." Itachi trailed off. He'd never really discussed Sasuke with anyone. It had hurt a bit when Sasuke had said he was going to quit British riding and go to Western.
Itachi didn't mean to goad Sasuke into competing, but his brother had always seen Itachi as an obstacle to overcome. Itachi missed riding with his brother, who had taken off a while ago, stating that he'd learn 'on a ranch or something' and come back with amazing awards, something to prove to their uncle and their father that he was better than Itachi.
Maybe Sasuke would grow up while he was on his own.
.
Notes:
You guys are wonderful! I never thought you'd actually do as I hinted and actually PM Disgruntled Minion as well. SO YOU ARE AMAZING. Keep PM'ing her as well as reviewing? Even if it's a copy and paste job, it means a lot. And she deserves it!
Thank you so much for all of your reviews so far! Feedback in any form is wonderful and it's nice to hear that some of you are enjoying the story so far!
(and because I said I wasn't going to but I can't bloody resist – any Merlin fans reading this? Pleeease contact me, yes? I need to pimp the BigBang! :D )
